Amtrak is at last restoring rail service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama—almost 20 years after suspending service between the two cities when Hurricane Katrina devastated the region in 2005.
Twice-daily trains will begin traveling the route Monday, August 18, Amtrak announced today.
Known as the Mardi Gras Service, the rail offering will have morning and evening departures in both New Orleans and Mobile, with four intermediate stops along Mississippi's Gulf Coast: Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Pascagoula.
The entire journey from end to end takes about 3 hours and 45 minutes, putting numerous beaches, casinos, seafood restaurants, historical attractions, and other charms within easy reach.
Tickets are on sale now, with coach fares starting at just $15 per passenger for going the whole way, or less for shorter distances.
People aboard Mardi Gras Service trains can make same-day connections with City of New Orleans trains traveling between New Orleans and Chicago, or next-day connections in New Orleans with Amtrak Crescent trains to and from New York, or Amtrak Sunset Limited trains to and from Los Angeles.
“Amtrak’s return to the Gulf Coast has been a long time coming," as New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said in a statement, "and we’re excited to see passenger rail returning to the Gulf Coast and will continue to be a strong advocate for existing and future Amtrak service in New Orleans.”
Once known as the Gulf Coast Limited, Amtrak's route through the region is being restored just under the wire before the 20th anniversary of when Hurricane Katrina made landfall in late August 2005, severely damaging infrastructure along the Gulf Coast.
The yearslong effort to bring back the service was made possible by a partnership of federal, state, and local governments, as well as the longtime backing of the Southern Rail Commission.
For more information about the Mardi Gras Service or to purchase tickets, go to Amtrak.com.